Continuous veneer feeder



July 16, 1957A A. H. BECKLEY v CONTINUOUS VENEER FEEDER Fild ct. 12,1955 da N Z: Sheets-Sheet 1 Q; n" JNVENToR.

July 16, 1957 A.- H. BEcKLr-:Y l 2,799,381

CONTINUOUS VENEER FEEDER mm1 out. 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. H.BECKLEY CONTINUOUS VENEER FEEDER Julyy 16, 1957 Filed 0M.. 12, 1955 a lv u l l l l.

, INVENTOR.

CNTINUUS VENEER FEEDER Arthur H. Beckley, Portland, Oreg., assigner toMoore Dry Kiln Company, North Portland, Greg., a corporation of OregonApplication October 1,2, 1955, Serial No. 546,021 8 Claims. (Cl. 19g-20) This invention relates in general to conveying or feeding apparatusfor sheet material whereby the separate sheets, as they are removed froma pile or stack, will be automatically and properly fed, in continuoussuccession, to subsequent treating or processing means.

More specifically and particularly the invention relates to a feedertype of apparatus adapted for the handling of sheets of veneer and fordelivering the same to a veneer dryer of the well known multiple deckconveyor type.

It is common practice, in the feeding of veneer sheets from a stack orpile to a multiple deck dryer, to employ what is commonly known as atipple which is equipped with conveyor belts or other sheet moving meansand which is so arranged that the discharging end of the tipple can beraised or lowered to enable the successive sheets of veneer to bedelivered consecutively to the separate decks of the dryer assembly,thus enabling the dryer assembly to operate to capacity with all decksof the dryer assembly utilized.

An object of the present invention is to provide a. veneer feeder ofthis general type in which improved and simplified means will beemployed for the raising and lowering of the discharging end of such atipple so as to enable this desired distribution of the sheets of veneeronto the separate decks of the dryer assembly to take place efficiently.

A related object of the invention is to provide an improved control forthe tipple by which the speed of operation of the tipple willautomatically be governed by the drying speed at which the dryer is setto operate.

Another and important object of the invention is to.'

provide improved means by which the tipple can be maintained incontinuous operation, as opposed to intermittent operation, in order tomake possible considerable simplilication in the operating and controlmeans for such tipple and to achieve more efficient operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved andsimplified tipple assembly'in which vertical up and down motio-n of thetipple will be restricted to the discharging end of the same.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a tipple assemblywith improved and simple feeding means and control means at the intakeend automatically coordinated with the continuous moving or positioningof the discharge end of the tipple, and thus indirectly coordinated withthe drying speed for which the dryer is set.

The manner in which and the means by which these objects, and otheradvantages, are attained through the medium of the present inventionwill be briefly explained and described with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

l In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic side elevation of my improvedcontinuous feeder illustrating the same in operation in conjunction witha six deck conveyor type veneer dryer, the infeed or receiving ends ofthe deck arent conveyors of the dryer being indicated at the right inthe gure but the dryer itself being omitted;

Figure 2 is a corresponding frangrnentary plan View of the same;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary and foreshortened side elevation of the devicedrawn to a larger scale;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of the intake controlmeans for the feeder taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentaryv sectional lside elevation of Y thedischarging end of the feeder taken on line 5-5 of Figure 7.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical ing to line 6 6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan section corresponding to line 7 7 ofFigure 3 and drawn to a slightly larger scale;

Figure 8 is an elevation, on an enlarged scale, of certain automaticswitch control means positioned at the top of the frame in which thedischarging end of the tipple is located; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional plan on line 9--9 of Figure 8.

Referring first to Figure 1, the intake ends, or receiving ends, of thedecks of a multiple deck conveyor type veneer dryer (the dryer itselfnot being shown), of wellknown construction are indicated at A1, A2, A3,A4, A5, A6. Each of the decks is provided with a successionV of feedingrolls 10, which are connected by suitable driving means (not shown), forexample by sprocket chain connections, and which are all driven atuniform speed corresponding to the speed at which the dryer has been setto operate. My device is shown in Figure 1 in operating position forenabling veneeer sheets 11 from the pile indicated on the left in thefigure to be vfed successively to the intake ends of the decks of thedryer.

The device includes a movable transfer assembly T, commonly known `as atipple, comprising a frame or table 12, provided with a plurality ofendless and identical conveyor belts l13, which are spaced a slightdistance apart laterally and which are driven'in unison in the directionindicated by the arrows. These conveyor belts 13 pass around a drivenroll 14 at the discharging end of the tipple and around an idler roll 15in the opposite or receiving end of the tipple (see also Figure 2).

The frame 12 of the tipple is pivotally supported, at the left hand orreceiving end, on a transversally-extending shaft 16 (Figure 3), theends of which are secured respectively to side portions 17 of ahorizontally movable carriage, which carriage is indicated in general bythe reference character C. At the opposite or discharging end the frame12 of the tipple is pivotally supported on a transverse shaft 18 whichis carried by an elevator or vertically movable assembly indicated ingeneral by the reference character E (Figure 5).

The carriage C (Figure 3) comprises a pair of side portions 17, one ofwhich is shown in Figure 3, which section correspondare joined bytransversely extending channel members- 19 and 20 (Figures 3 and 4). Abar 21, secured on the outside of each of the side portions 17, carriesmountings for a pair of rollers 22. The' rollers 22 on each side of thecarriage move on a track 23 mounted on a side platey 24 of a supportingframe structure. Since the receiving end of the tipple is alwaysmaintained at the same height above the ground -or floor while thedischarging end, carried by the elevator assembly E, moves up or down ina vertical path, the purpose of mounting the carriage C on the rollers22 is to enable the slight but necessary longitudinal adjustment of theposition of the receiving end of the tipple to take place.

The roll 15, around which the endless conveyor belts 13 of the tipplepass at the receiving end of the tipple, is secured to a shaft 26(Figure 3) mounted in the side portions 17 of the carriage C. A feedroll 25, (indicated in broken lines in Figures l and 3, with a portionshown in Figure 2), is carried on a shaft 27 which is arranged invertical alignment with the shaft 26. The ends of this shaft 27 arecarried in a pair of journal blocks 28, one of which is shown in Figure3, and which journal blocks, in turn, are carried by the side portions 17 of the carriage C and are vertically adjustable therein. Pulleys26'1and 27 are secured on the shafts 26 and 27, respectively, invertical alignment and are engaged by an endless belt 29 which belt alsopasses around a lower idler pulley 30. Vertically adjustable supportingmeans (not shown) is provided for mounting the idler pulley 30 in theadjacent side portion of the carriage C for the purpose of tighteningthe endless belt 29 whennecessary. Thus the passage of the conveyorbelts 13 around the end roll l causes rotation of the roll 15 and thisresults in simultaneous rotation of the feed roll 25, the latterrotating at the same speed as the roll 15 but in opposite direction, therotation of the roll 15, as viewed in Figures 3 and 4, being clockwiseand the rotation of roll 25 being counterclockwise.

For the purpose of feeding veneer sheets 11 from the top of the pile,(indicated at the left in Figure l), to the intake end of the tipple,feed cams are provided. A plurality of these lower identical feed cams31 (Figures 3 and 4) vare secured in similar position on a common shaft32,A the cams being spaced a short distance apart laterally.v The endsof the shaft 32 are supported in the side portions 17 of the carriage C.A corresponding, oppositely. arranged, series of upper feed cams 33,arranged in vertical registration with the lower feed cams respectively,are secured on a shaft 34 which shaft is in vertical alignment with theshaft 32, The ends of the shaft 34 are carried in a pair of journalblocks 35, one of which is shown in Figure 3, which are mounted in theside portions 17 of the carriage C respectively, and are verticallyadjustable therein. Sprockets 32 and 34 are secured to the shafts 32 and34 respectively in vertical alignment with each other and are engaged byan endless sprocket chain 36. This chain 36 passes around a lower idlerpulley 37 and vertically adjustable supporting means (not shown) isprovided for mounting the pulley 37 in the adjacentside portion of thecarriage C so that the pulley 37 can act as a chain tightener for thechain 36. A second sprocket 38 on the shaft 32 is connected to a drivingmotor 39 by the sprocket chain 40. The motor 39 is supported at thebottom of the carriage C. Thus operationV of the motor 39 results in therotation of the lower feed cams 31 and upper feed cams 33 in unison (seeFigure 4) but in opposite directions, the lower feed cams v3l beingrotated clockwise, as viewed in Figures 3 and 4, and the upper feed camsbeing rotated counterclockwise. The motor 39 for the feed cams iscontrolled by a limit switch, later referred to, which is so arrangedthat each time the motor operates the upper and lower series of feedcams will be rotated exactly 360, always returning to the positionsillustrated in Figure 4.

' When the lower and upper series of feed cams 31 and return to theirstarting position, with the cam portions of their peripheries opposed,the vertical spacing between the peripheral cam portions is greater thanthe thickness of a veneer sheet, thus permitting a veneer sheet to beinserted into feeding position between the two series of cams. However,as the cams are rotated, their peripheries are brought close together sothat the sheet of veneer which had been inserted between them will befirmly engaged and fed forwardly to the intake end of the tipple (thusto the right as viewed in Figure 4). The peripheries of the feed camsare provided with rims of rubber or other suitable flexible grippingmaterial them to have a rm grip on the sheet of veneer while they feedthe sheet to the tipple.

so as to cause,

A plurality of fence type stops or stop arms 41, one of which is shownin Figure 4, are attached to a shaft 42 rotatably supported in brackets43 secured to the frame C. The stop arms 41 are so positioned as to bein registration with the spaces between the individual feed cams of theupper as well as the lower series of cams 33 and 31, thus enabling thestop arms to drop down to the full line position shown in Figure 4 andbe free from engagement with the individual feed cams. The function ofthe stop arms 41 is to limit the extent to which a veneer sheet can beshoved towards the tipple when the feed cams areat rest. A bracket arm44 is secured on the rotatable shaft 42 and in turn, is connected with apiston rod 45. The piston rod 45 is operated by means of a do-ubleacting air cylinder 46 which is carried on a bracket 47 attached to thetop of the carriage C. Delivery of air under pressure into one port 43of the cylinder 46 causes the stop arms 41 to be raised to the brokenline position indicated in Figure 4, and delivery of air into the otherport 4S' of the cylinder causes the stop arms 41 to return to the fullline position of Figure 4 and thus again limit the extent to which asheet of veneer can be inserted between the series of feed cams. Thedelivery of air under pressure to the cylinder 46 from a suitableoutside source (not shown) is controlled by a solenoid-operated doubleacting valve mechanism (not shown) which is operated simultaneously withthe actuation of motor 39 and controlled by the limit switch for themotor 39. Thus the stop arms 41 are raised to the broken line positionshown in Figure 4 each time the feed cams 31 and 32 start to rotate andthey return to their normal blocking position at the end of eachrotation of the feed cams.

Since the carriage C on which the receiving or intake end of the tippleT is mounted and on which the shafts for the feed cams 31 and 33 aresupported, always remains at the same height, although capable of beingmoved slightly in a horizontal direction as previously explained, anelevator platform 49 (Figure l) is provided for the pile of veneersheets 11 and the height of the elevator platform is adjusted by theoperator from time to time so that the top of the pile will besubstantially in line with the spacing between the feed cams 31 and 32when these are at rest. The elevator platform 49, as indicated in Figurel, is of the cantilever type and carries rollers 51 which ride onvertical rails formed by channel iron frame members 5t) at the side of asupporting frame structure. A reversible motor 52 is connected by anendless sprocket chain 52 with a drive sprocket 53 secured 011 a shaft54. A sprocket chain 55 is connected to the elevator 49 at each side.Each of these sprocket chains passes over a pulley 56 mounted near theupper ends of the supporting side frames respectively and the chains 55have their other ends secured to suitable winding pulleys secured to theshaft 54. VThe motor 52 is controlled by a pair of switch buttons (notshown) placed at a location convenient to the operator in charge of theinserting of the veneer sheets into feeding position.

The vertically movable assembly E includes a pair of vertical sideplates 57, one of which is shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7, which arelocated at each side of the assembly E and are rigidly connected to atransversally-extending bottom frame 5S. Rollers 59, mounted on theoutside of each of the side plates 57, ride on pairs of vertical rails60 which are secured to stationary main frame columns 61 there being onesuch column on each side of the supporting main frame.

The shaft 18, on which the end of the tipple frame 12 is pivotallymounted at the discharging end of the tipple, has its ends supported inthe side plates 57 of the vertically movable assembly E. The driven roll14, around which the conveyor belts 13 of the tipple pass, has its shaftalso supported in the side plates 57. A motor 62 (Figures 5 and 6),carried on the assembly E, is connected by sprocket chain 63 withsprocket 64 secured to the shaft of roll 14.

A companion feed roll 65 (Figure 6), corresponding in size to the drivenroll 14, is positioned above and is in vertical alignment with the roll14. The shaft for the companion roll 65 is mounted for verticaladjustment by being supported in a pair of adjustable journal blocks 66,mounted in the side plates 57 respectively, one of these journal blocksbeing shown in Figures and 6. Sprockets 14 and 65', secured on theshafts of the rolls 14 and 65 respectively, are engaged by an endlesssprocket chain 65A which passes around a lower idler pulley 67 carriedby chain tightening means 68 (Figure 6). Thus the rolls 14 and 65 aredriven in unison but in opposite directions, roll 15 being driven inclockwise direction, as viewed in Figures 3 and 5. The conveyor belts 13of the tipple are driven by the roll 14. The roll 15 at the receivingend of the tipple, as previously mentioned, is driven by the belts 13,and the companion feed roll 25 is driven from the roll 15. Thus therolls 14, 65, 15 and 25 and the belts 13 of the tipple are all driven atthe same speed, which speed is determined by the speed at which themotor 62 is caused to operate.

In each of the two frame columns 61 (one of these columns being shown inFigures 3 and 7), a pair of vertical ribs 69 are welded to the oppositeinside walls of the column in alignment with each other. A brackethousing 70 is secured to these ribs in each column and this housing isopen at the top and bottom. The two bracket housings 70 are located atthe same height in the respective frame columns and each bracket housing76 provides suitable bearing supports for a stub shaft 71. On each stubshaft 71 a pair of sprockets 72 and 73 are secured. The outer sprocket72 of each pair is connected by an endless sprocket chain 74 to asprocket 75 (shown in broken lines in Figure 3). The sprockets 75 aresecured on a driven shaft 76 and a driven sprocket 77 on thistransversally-extending shaft 76 is connected by sprocket chain 78 tothe variable-speed motor 79. Thus the two stub shafts 71 at oppositesides in the main frame structure are driven in unison by theirconnections with the driven shaft '76. l

The sprocket 73 (Figure 7), on each stub shaft 71, drives a roller chain80 (Figure 3). Each roller chain 80 moves in a guideway provided by aslot between a center stationary vertical plate 81 and two side plates96 and 97 extending in the same vertical plane with plate 81. The plates81, 96 and 97 are supported by straps 98. Each roller chain 80 passesaround an idler pulleyV 82 at the bottom of its course, each idlerpulley 82 being carried in an adjustable mounting support indicated at83 in Figure 3.

A pair of identical links 84 (one such link being shown in Figures 5, 6and 7) are located on opposite sides of the elevator assembly E and havetheir bottom ends pivotally connected to the bottom of the elevatorassembly and their top ends pivotally connected to lugs secured on thecorresponding roller chains 80 at identical locations. Thus, as will nowbe apparent from Figure 3, since the pair of roller chains 80 at thesides of the elevator assembly E are driven in unison (thus incounter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3), the elevatorassembly E and with it the discharging end of the tipple assembly T,will move vertically up and down, the speed of the upward movement andthe speed of the downward movement being determined by the speed atwhich the variable-speed motor 79 is being caused to operate at thetime.

The tipple frame 12 is connected at each side to one end of a cablewhich passes over a pulley`85 mounted at that side of the main framestructure, and suitable counterweights, indicated at 86 in Figure 3, areattached to the other end of each cable. The counterweights move insuitable guideways, and, by relieving the elevator assembly E of aconsiderable portion of the weight of that end of the tipple frame,facilitate the operation of the eievator assembly and thus the up anddown movement of the discharging end of the tipple and reduce the amountof power required for moving the elevator assembly up and down in itsprescribed course.

From Figures l and 3 it is to be understood that when the elevatorassembly E is at the lowest point in its travel the discharging end ofthe tipple T will be in registration with the intake end A6 of thelowermost deck of the veneer dryer, and similarly when the elevatorassembly is at the uppermost point of its travel the discharging end ofthe tipple will be slightly above the intake end A1 of the top deck ofthe dryer.

A mechanical automatic switch-operating assembly (Figures 8 land 9),indicated in general by the reference character S, is mounted in ahousing 99 at the top of the stationary main frame in which the elevatorassembly E is supported. This switch-operating assembly includes a pairof disks 87 and 88 secured on a rotatably-mounted stub shaft 89. Thisstub shaft 89 is driven by suitable reduction gear and chain means fromthe shaft 76 as il lustrated in Figure 8. The arrangement is such thatthe stub shaft 89 and the disks 87 and 88 will make exactly onerevolution while the roller chains (Figure 3) make one complete cycle.In other words, while the elevator assembly E travels from the top tobottom and back again to the top of its vertical course, the disks 87and 88 will be rotated exactly 360. Since the up and down movement ofthe elevator Vassembly E and the rotation of the disks 87 and 88 areproduced through the positive mechanical drive connections with theshaft 76 this operating relationship between the rotating disks 87 and88 and the 4elevator assembly E will always be maintained regardless ofVariations in speed at which the shaft 76 is driven. This is importantand necessary for the proper functioning of the entire device, as willpresently be apparent.

The disk 88 (Figure 9) is provided with a plurality of identical,equally-spaced trip elements 90 (there being six in the device asillustrated), which elements extend radially from the periphery of thedisk 88 and which are distributed over of its periphery. These tripelements 90 are arranged to `engage a roller on the end of aspring-controlled plunger 91, which plunger constitutes aswitch-operating element and is slidably mounted in a stationary housing92. The plunger operates a limit switch (not shown) each time it ismomentarily pushed inwardly against the force of its spring. Theparticular limit switch operated by this plunger element 91 is the limitswitch which controls the operation of motor 39 (Figure 3) previouslymentioned and which also at the same time controls the operation of thestop arms 41 (Figure 4). Thus each time one of the trip elements 90comes into engagement with the roller on the end of the switch-operatingplunger 91 the feed cams 31 and 33 (Figure 4) will be caused to rotatethrough 360 and the stop arms 41 will be raised when such rotationbegins and then lowered at the completion of the rotation of the feedcams.

The number of trip elements 90 corresponds to the number of decks in thedryer and the dryer indicated in Figure l is assumed to 'have six decks.Since the disk S8 will be rotated 180 while the elevator assembly movesfrom its highest to its lowest point, the trip elements 90 and the disk8S are so arranged that the first trip element '99 will operate theplunger 91 as the elevator assembly reaches its highest position, andthus, as the discharging end of the tipple T is moved into registrationwith the intake of the top deck of the dryer. The second trip element 96of the series similarly actuates the plunger 91 after the dischargingend of the tipple has passed below the intake for the top deck and isapproaching the intake for the next lower deck; and so on. inasmuch asthe trip elements 90 are restricted to half of the periphery of the disk88 there will be no operation of the plunger 91, and consequently norotation of 'the feed cams 31 and 33 and no raising of the stop arms 41,during such time as the discharging end of the tipple is being movedupwardly from the lowest to the highest deck of the dryer. Thus,although the belts 13 and the feed rolls of the tipple operatecontinuously while the entire device is functioning, any delivery oftheveneer sheets to the dryer, while the discharging end of the tipple ismoving upwardly from the lower to the highest position, is automaticallyprevented. This is an important feature of the device.

If the elevator assembly E, carrying the discharging end of the tipplemoved upwardly at no faster rate of speed than it is moved downwardly,or in other words,

yif the motor 79 were operated at the same speed during both phases ofthe cycle made by the roller chains 80 there would be a considerableloss of time in the feeding of the veneer sheets to the dryer and thedryer would not be operated at full capacity.

In order to avoid this difficulty the variable speed motor 79 is causedto operate at greater speed during each period in which the elevatorassembly E moves upwardly. Actually, in the particular deviceillustrated in which the dryer is assumed to have six decks, the speedof the motor 79 during such period of upward travel of the elevatorassembly is increased to six times the speed with which it operatesduring the remaining period of the cycle when the elevator assembly istraveling downwardly. -In order to produce this change of speed in thevariable speed motor 79 the disk 87 (Figures 8 and 9) is provided with acam -segment 93 which extends beyond the periphery of the disk 87 and isarranged to engage a roller on the end of a second springcontrolledplunger switch element 94, slidably mounted in -a housing 95. The outeredge of this cam segment 93 forms an arc of a circle concentric with thedisk periphery and this segment has an arcuate length of approximately180. The cam segment is so positioned and arranged on the disk S7 as toactuate the plunger element94 during the half rotation of the disk 87which occurs when the elevator assembly E is performing its upwardtravel. The electric connection and controls of the variable speed motor79 are not shown since such means are old and well known and no claimfor patentable novelty is made for them. This is true also of the limitswitch vand electrical connections for the motor 39.

The speed of the motor 62 which operates the belts 13 and feed rolls onthe tipple is determined by the speed 'at which the dryer is set tooperate. The two speeds at which the motor 79 operates in addition tobeing capable of adjustment by manual means, are normally automaticallycontrolled by the operating speed of the dryer. Such control isaccomplished through the medium of well known speed synchronizing means(not shown). For example, one such synchronizing control which is beingused very satisfactorily for this purpose embodies a Thymotrol"controlled motor unit employing a feed back Tachometer as a speedcontrol, which is well known and obtainable on the market and ismanufactured by the General Electric Company.

The relative speeds are so arranged that one entire cycle of travel ofthe elevator assembly E will take place during the time required for aveneer sheet, of the standard size being processed, to travel a distancecorresponding to its length on a deck of the dryer, and also that aveneer sheet of the same standard size, after having been inserted intostarting position between the feed cams 31 and 33, will be deliveredonto the tipple and transferred from one end of the tipple to the otherand delivered to the intake for a dryer deck during the intervalrequired for the elevator assembly E to move downwardly from one dryerdeck to another (or during the same interval required for the elevatorassembly to move upwardly from the bottom dryer deck to the top deck).

Y In most cases these relative speeds, which are thus made dependent onthe speed of the dryer, will be arranged to accommodate the customarystandard eight foot length for the green veneer sheets. However addi- 8tional speed adjustment and an auxiliarycontrol (not shown), are alsoprovided so as to enable the governing time cycle to be adjusted whenfour foot veneer sheets, which are also standard for core stock, arebeing processed.

The fact that the tipple assembly of this improved veneer feeder ismaintained in continuous operation while the device is run, instead ofoperating intermittently, as in the case of other veneer feeders whichare at present on the market, results in several distinct advantages.For instance, the constant starting and stopping of the entire feederassembly and the excessive vibration and wear resulting from such rapidintermittent operation when the feeder is set into operation separatelyeach time by the delivery of a veneer sheet at the intake of the feeder,is avoided by the simplified and continuous operating means employedunder the present invention. When, with the use of an intermittentlyoperating veneer feeder, there is a momentary delay on the part of theoperator in positioning a veneer sheet at the intake of the feeder, thiswill cause a correspondingly unused space to occur on every deck of thedryer, since the dryer itself must operate continuously even though thedischarging end of the tipple stops. On the other hand, by theemployment of the control feeder of the present invention, such amomentary delay on the part of the operator will result in an unusedspace on only one deck of the dryer, and the delayed veneer sheet willthen be delivered automatically into the proper space on the next deckof the dryer. Consequently the present invention reduces the likelihoodthat maximum capacity of the dryer will not be efliciently utilizedwhile the feeder is operating. With the motor for the elevator assemblyE automatically caused to operate at the proper relative speed withrespect to the dryer speed and operating continuously, the simplemechanical operating control for the limit switch for the feed cams andfor the stop arms is all that is necessary in order to time the deliveryby the tipple assembly properly. Only a minimum amount of care andattention on the part of the operator is required.

Various modifications could, of course, be made in the construction ofthe individual parts of the continuous feeder without departing from theprinciple of the invention. It is essential, however, for achieving theobjects mentioned, that the up and down travel of the discharging end ofthe tipple assembly be maintained continuously and without interruptionduring the operation of the feeder, that one half of this cycle of thetravel take place within the same length of time in which thedischarging end of the tipple moves from one deck of the dryer toanother during the other half of the cycle, and that this continuoustravel of the discharging end of the tipple be properly synchronizedwith operating speed of the dryer and in turn control the rate at whicheach individual sheet will be received at the intake end of the tipple.

I claim:

1. In a device for loading veneer sheets of uniform length into amultiple deck dryer, a conveyor assembly having a discharge end movingvertically continuously into and out of alignment with the respectivedecks of said dryer, continuously operating motor-driven meansalternately raising and lowering said discharge end, said meansincluding a variable speed motor running at one speed while saiddischarge end is being moved vertically in one direction and at amultiple of such speed, based on the number of decks in said dryer,while said discharge end is being moved in the opposite direction, amechanical switch-operating device, connected with said motor andmotor-driven means, causing a change over from one speed of said motorto the other respectively as said discharge end reaches the upper andlower limits of its travel, sheet gripping and moving feed cams at theintake end of said conveyor assembly, driving means for rotating saidfeed cams intermittently, and a control automatically actuating saidlast mentioned driving means, said control operated by the continuouslyoperating means raising and lowering the discharge end of said conveyorassembly.

2. In a feeder of the character described for feeding veneer sheets intoa multiple deck player, a conveyor assembly having a discharge endmoving vertically continuously into and out of alignment with therespective decks of said dryer, continuously operating motor-drivenmeans alternately raising and lowering said discharge end, said meansincluding a variable speed motor operating in synchronism with theoperating speed of said dryer and running at one speed while saiddischarge end is being moved downwardly and at a multiple of such speed,based on the number of decks in said dryer, while said discharge end isbeing moved upwardly, and a mechanical automatic switch-operatingdevice, connected with said motor and motor-driven means, causing achange over from one speed of said motor to the other respectively assaid discharge end reaches the upper and lower limits of its travel,said switch-operating device including a rotating cam element having itsrotation timed with the up and down travel of said discharge end.

3. In a feeding device of the character described for feeding veneersheets into a multiple deck dryer, a conveyor assembly having adischarge end moving vertically continuously into and out of alignmentwith the respective decks of said dryer, continuously operating meansalternately raising and lowering said discharge end, said meansincluding a motor operating in synchronism with the operating speed ofsaid dryer, sheet gripping and moving means at the intake end of saidconveryor assembly, a motor operating said sheet gripping and movingmeans, and a control operated by said continuously operating means forsaid discharge end and automatically causing said last mentioned motorto operate intermittently.

4. In a device for loading veneer sheets of uniform length into amultiple deck dryer, a motor-operated conveyor having a discharge endmoving vertically continuously into and out of alignment with therespective decks of said dryer, continuously operating motor-drivenmeans alternately raising and lowering said discharge end, said meansincluding a variable speed motor running at one speed while saiddischarge end is being moved downwardly and at a multiple of such speed,based on the number of decks in said dryer, while said discharge end isbeing moved upwardly, sheet gripping and moving means at the intake endof said conveyor, a motor operating said sheet gripping and movingmeans, and a control operated by said continuously operating means forsaid discharge end automatically causing said last mentioned motor tooperate intermittently.

5. The combination set forth in claim 2 with the addition of sheetgripping and moving feed cams at the intake end of said conveyorassembly, driving means for said feed cams, and a mechanically-operatedcontrol automatically actuating said last mentioned driving means, saidlast mentioned control including a rotating, switchactuating elementrotated by said continuously operating means for said discharge end.

6. A feeder for feeding sheet material into a multiple deck processingdevice including a conveyor assembly having an intake end supported at afixed height and a discharge end moving vertically continuously into andout of alignment with the respective decks of said processing device,continuously operating motor-driven means alternately raising andlowering said discharge end, said means including a variable speed motorrunning at one speed while said discharge end is being moved verticallyin one direction and at a multiple of such speed while said dischargeend is being moved in the opposite direction, a mechanicalswitch-operating device, connected with said motor-driven means, causinga change over from one speed of said motor to thc other respectively assaid discharge end reaches the upper and lower limits of its travel,sheet gripping and moving means, a mechanicallyoperated controlautomatically actuating said last mentioned driving means and operatedby the continuously operating means for said discharge end, and acarriage supporting said intake end of said conveyor and said sheetgripping and moving means, said carriage mounted for limited movement ina horizontal plane to accommodate the vertical travel of said dischargeend.

7. A feeding device for feeding veneer sheets into a multiple deck dryerincluding a conveyor assembly having an intake end supported at a fixedheight and a discharge end moving vertically continuously into and outof alignment with the respective decks of said dryer, continuouslyoperating motor-driven means alternately raising and lowering saiddischarge end, said means including a variable speed motor operating insynchronism with the operating speed of said dryer and running at onespeed while said discharge end is being moved vertically in onedirection and at a multiple of such speed, based on the number of decksin said dryer, while said discharge end is being moved in the oppositedirection, a switch-operating device, connected With said motor-drivenmeans, causing a change over from one speed of said motor to the otherrespectively as said discharge end reaches the upper and lower limits ofits travel, said switch-operating device including a rotating camelement making one revolution with each cycle of said discharge end,sheet gripping and moving feed cams at said intake end of said conveyor,driving means for said feed cams, a mechanically-operated controlautomatically actuating said last mentioned driving means connected withthe continuously operating means for said discharge end, and a carriagesupporting said intake end of said conveyor and said feed cams, saidcarriage mounted for limited movement in a horizontal plane toaccommodate the vertical travel of said discharge end.

8. A feeder for feeding veneer sheets into a multiple deck dryerincluding a motor-operated conveyor assembly having an intake endsupported at a fixed height and a discharge end moving verticallycontinuously into and out of alignment with the respective decks of saiddryer, continuously operating motor-'driven means alternately raisingand lowering said discharge end, said means including a variable speedmotor operating in synchronism with the operating speed of said dryer,running at one speed while said discharge end is being moved downwardlyand at a multiple of such speed, based on the number of decks in saiddryer, while said discharge end is being moved'upwardly, a mechanicalswitch-operating device, connected with said motor-driven means, causinga change over from one speed of said motor to the other respectively assaid discharge end reaches the upper and lower limits of its travel,sheet gripping and moving feed cams at said intake end of said conveyor,driving means for said feed cams, a mechanically-operated controlautomatically actuating said last mentioned driving means, said lastmentioned control including a rotating, switchactuating element rotatedby said continuously operating means for said discharge end, a carriagesupporting said intake end of said conveyor, said carriage mounted forlimited movement in a horizontal plane to accommodate the verticaltravel of said discharge end, and elevating means for said veneer sheetslocated adjacent said intake end of said conveyor assembly.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,649,182 Parker Aug. 18, 1953

